ham – Heather Likes Foodhttps://heatherlikesfood.com
Stupid Simple Delicious FoodTue, 26 Sep 2017 20:14:17 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2Smoky Ham, Bean and Sweet Potato Souphttps://heatherlikesfood.com/smoky-ham-bean-and-sweet-potato-soup/
https://heatherlikesfood.com/smoky-ham-bean-and-sweet-potato-soup/#commentsWed, 10 Oct 2012 16:20:21 +0000https://www.heatherlikesfood.com/?p=2951I’m just going to come right out and say it: this ham, bean, and sweet potato soup does not lend itself very well to the camera. The ingredients are pretty monochromatic and texturally boring (as far as photography goes) and while I was shooting the step-by-step I was losing light FAST! Curse you winter and...

I’m just going to come right out and say it: this ham, bean, and sweet potato soup does not lend itself very well to the camera. The ingredients are pretty monochromatic and texturally boring (as far as photography goes) and while I was shooting the step-by-step I was losing light FAST! Curse you winter and your over-cast-food-photography-unfriendly ways!

What I can say is that for everything this soup lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in taste. BIG TIME!

Now, this isn’t your typical ham and bean soup that usually makes its appearance shortly after the holidays each year. This one is smoky, sweet, slightly tangy, low calorie, and super hearty. I’ve included a few ingredients you may crinkle your forehead to, but stick with me because we’re building flavors here—lots and lots of deep flavors in a small amount of time.

Are you ready? Let’s go!

You’ll start with a hot pot, a little olive oil and some diced onion, a few cloves fresh garlic, and a chipotle chili pepper with 1 tbsp of adobo sauce. Let cook over medium heat until the onions start to soften.

Chipotle Peppers:

I often use ground chipotle chili powder in my cooking, but this time we’re using a whole chipotle pepper which is a smoked jalapeño that’s been canned in what’s called adobo sauce. Cans of these are easy to find in the Latin section of most grocery stores and the label will say something to the effect of “Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce”. Each small can has eight or so peppers in it, but you’ll only need one for this entire recipe because just one little pepper packs quite a punch. I like to freeze my extra peppers in an ice cube tray topping each one with a tablespoon of the adobo sauce they are packed in. That way I have a little pepper/sauce cube ready to go next time I need one. The canned peppers are whole with seeds still intact, so you’ll need to cut the one you’re using for the soup in half, scrape out the seeds, and mince finely before adding it to the onions and garlic. You can certainly use more or less peppers based on how spicy you like your food. In this case, one pepper gives this soup just enough heat to warm the back of your throat and wasn’t too spicy for my 6 yr. old to enjoy. I don’t recommend omitting it completely though as this is what gives the soup its smoky flavor.

Once the onions have slightly softened, stir in 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard followed by 6 cups of chicken broth.

Dice 2 cups of sweet potato and add into the pot…

…followed by 2 (undrained) cans of white beans and a bay leaf. Let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. I choose not to drain the cans of beans because it gives the soup a nice body and also a little extra flavor.

Stir in 1 pound of diced ham, 2 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce and cook just until the ham is heated through.

Serve with some bread for dipping and you’ve got yourself a mighty-fine chilly night’s dinner.

]]>https://heatherlikesfood.com/smoky-ham-bean-and-sweet-potato-soup/feed/2Cheesy Apple Panini w/ Maple Dijon Saucehttps://heatherlikesfood.com/cheesy-apple-panini-w-maple-dijon-sauce/
https://heatherlikesfood.com/cheesy-apple-panini-w-maple-dijon-sauce/#commentsMon, 10 Sep 2012 06:00:13 +0000https://www.heatherlikesfood.com/?p=2572 I’m not an expert at this having school-age kids thing. My oldest just started first grade and it’s still a little hard for me to believe that we’re both old enough for that to be our reality. Many weeknights after dishing out snack, going through backpacks/lunch boxes and hearing about the many sundry things...

I’m not an expert at this having school-age kids thing. My oldest just started first grade and it’s still a little hard for me to believe that we’re both old enough for that to be our reality. Many weeknights after dishing out snack, going through backpacks/lunch boxes and hearing about the many sundry things she learned from friends that day, I look at the clock and realize that I haven’t planned anything for dinner. When this happens I usually choose from two options: 1. Get the kids really excited about making their own cold cereal cocktail for dinner, or 2. Make sandwiches with whatever odds n’ ends I have laying in my fridge.

Back when I was in cooking school my first few weeks were spent making sandwiches, soup and salads. We were told that these were basic foods and if you could make a spectacular sandwich you basically cook anything. Now, years later, sandwiches and soups are still two of my favorite things to make. And while I can’t claim that I can cook everything well, I do see how the principles used in sandwich making can translate into being able to create phenomenal food. Elements like variance in texture, contrasting flavors and temperatures and ease of consumption are all things that make food work; sandwiches, gourmet meals, and sweet treats alike.

So where am I going with this? My point is that even though you may have “sandwich-kind-of-nights” once the crazy fall schedule sets in, you don’t have sacrifice flavor. The magic with this sandwich lies in the crispness of the apples and the sweet/tangy sauce paired with the salty ham and cheese. If you don’t have a Panini press, never fear- I don’t have one either! Contrary to what Williams-Sonoma wants you to think, you can make Panini without one. It’s basically just a grilled sandwich that’s been pressed down while cooking. Find a heavy skillet to put on the top of your sandwich or do as I did and use your old George Foreman grill that you never use. You know you have one.

Let’s make some sandwiches, shall we? You’ll start out by making a simple sauce made of sour cream, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and dill. Give a good mix and spread just a little bit on a slice of good quality bread.

Layer on some thinly sliced apples.

Followed by a few slices of deli ham and some sharp cheddar

Top with another slice of bread and brush the top with a little melted butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Place sandwich on grill, panini press, or skillet butter side down and brush a bit of butter on the other side.

Cook until both sides are golden brown and the cheese is melted. Dip in remaining sauce and enjoy the cheesy goodness!

]]>https://heatherlikesfood.com/cheesy-apple-panini-w-maple-dijon-sauce/feed/4Sweet Ham and Swiss Slidershttps://heatherlikesfood.com/sweet-ham-and-swiss-sliders/
https://heatherlikesfood.com/sweet-ham-and-swiss-sliders/#commentsThu, 09 Feb 2012 18:30:06 +0000http://heatherlikesfood.wordpress.com/?p=818If you’re on Pinterest, haven’t been smooshed under a rock , or not in a coma you’re probably familiar with this idea. It seems like they’re everywhere and I’ve had them on my list to make for a while now. So once Super Bowl Sunday came around I knew it was time (regardless of whether or...

If you’re on Pinterest, haven’t been smooshed under a rock , or not in a coma you’re probably familiar with this idea. It seems like they’re everywhere and I’ve had them on my list to make for a while now. So once Super Bowl Sunday came around I knew it was time (regardless of whether or not we actually watch the game, we ALWAYS have Super Bowl food). I love that they’re easy to make and can be assembled up to a day ahead of time and baked just before serving. Another big plus is that they are very kid friendly while being just interesting enough for adults to get excited about them too.

Most of the recipes I found used sweet Hawaiian style rolls as their base, but between the price and their sometimes weird texture, I wasn’t sold. I used just regular ol’ dinner rolls- soft, dense and deliciously enriched. I still wanted them to be sweet, though so I added a bit of brown sugar to the sauce and I loved the caramelized, sticky crust it created.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°

On a rimmed baking sheet place bottom half of dinner rolls and top with 1½ slices of ham and 1 slice of swiss cheese. Spread about 1 tsp of mayonnaise on each top-half of roll and place on top of ham and cheese. You want the rolls to be snug together, kissing just a bit so the sauce can soak up into all of the nooks and crannies.

In a small bowl combine the mustard, melted butter, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds, and brown sugar. Mix until combined and evenly pour over the assembled rolls. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Bake covered with foil for 10 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the tops are browned, and cheese is good and melted.

by Heather Cheney

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